H3N2型猪流感病毒M2蛋白表达分析

Characterization of M2 gene of H3N2 subtype swine influenza virus

摘要:

流感病毒的M2蛋白在流感病毒复制中起着重要作用，是抗流感病毒的靶标分子。本研究以提取的病毒基因组RNA作为模板，RT-PCR扩增H3N2亚型猪流感病毒M2基因，分别构建了重组原核表达载体和重组真核表达载体，建立了M2蛋白的原核和真核表达系统。通过大肠杆菌表达系统，制备了M2重组蛋白，并免疫大鼠制备了多克隆抗体。Western blotting和间接免疫荧光方法检测表明所制备的抗体能识别真核表达的M2蛋白和病毒感染细胞后表达M2蛋白，具有良好的特异性。重组M2真核表达载体转染Vero细胞，表达的重组M2蛋白大小为20 kDa，定位于细胞浆中，与病毒感染细胞中的M2蛋白定位相同。Western blotting检测表明M2蛋白在病毒感染细胞12 h后才能检出，晚于NS1、NP和M1，属于病毒复制的晚期蛋白，可作为病毒复制晚期的指示分子。本研究为弄清M2蛋白在病毒复制过程中的生物学功能奠定了基础。

Abstract:

M2 protein of influenza A virus is encoded by a spliced mRNA derived from RNA segment 7 and plays an important role in influenza virus replication. It is also a target molecule of anti-virus drugs. We extracted the viral genome RNAs from MDCK cells infected with swine influenza A virus (SIV) H3N2 subtype and amplified the SIV M2 gene by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction using the isloated viral genome RNAs as template. The amplified cDNA was cloned into a prokaryotic expression vector pET-28a(+) (designated pET-28a(+)-M2) and a eukaryotic expression vector p3xFLAG-CMV-7.1 (designated p3xFLAG-CMV-7.1-M2), respectively. The resulted constructs were confirmed by restriction enzyme digestion and DNA sequencing analysis. We then transformed the plasmid pET-28a(+)-M2 into Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) strain and expressed it by adding 1 mmol/L of IPTG (isopropyl-β-D-thiogalactopyranoside). The recombinant M2 protein was purified from the induced bacterial cells using Ni2+ affinity chromatography. Wistar rats were immunized with the purified M2 protein for producing polyclonal antibodies specific for it. Western blotting analysis and immunofluorescence analysis showed that the produced antibodies were capable of reacting with M2 protein expressed in p3xFLAG-CMV-7.1-M2-transfected cells as well as that synthesized in SIV-infected cells. We also transfected plasmid p3xFLAG-CMV-7.1-M2 into Vero cells and analyzed its subcellular localization by immunofluorescence. The M2 protein expressed in the Vero cells was 20 kDa in size and dominantly localized in the cytoplasm, showing a similar distribution to that in SIV-infected cells. Western blotting analysis of SIV-infected cells suggested that M2 was a late phase protein, which was detectable 12 h post-infection, later than NS1, NP and M1 proteins. It would be a potential molecular indicator of late phases replication of virus. Our results would be useful for studying the biological function of M2 protein in SIV replication.